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Indo-Asian News Service or IANS is a private Indian news agency. The IANS was founded by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the India Abroad News Service. It was later renamed the Indo-Asian News Service. The IANS has its main offices located in Noida.

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Sharad Kelkar on working with Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn
2248 days ago
Bollywood

Sharad Kelkar on working with Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn

New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) Actor Sharad Kelkar has an interesting slate of Bollywood work lined up including "Laxmmi Bomb" and "Bhuj: The Pride Of India". He has opened up working with the cast of these films and the equation he shares with actors like Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Dutt, with whom he shares screen space.## The Akshay-starrer "Laxmmi Bomb" is a remake of the superhit Tamil horror-comedy "Muni 2: Kanchana". It revolves around Raghava, a cowardly man who gets possessed by the ghost of a transgender woman, who takes revenge on the ones who destroyed her life. The Tamil film featured R. Sarathkumar, Raghava Lawrence, Lakshmi Rai, Kovai Sarala, Devadarshini and Sriman in pivotal roles.## "Bhuj: The Pride of India", stars Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha, Ammy Virk, and Pranitha Subhash. The film tells the tale of Indian Air Force pilot Vijay Karnik. The period drama looks back into the journey of 300 women of Madhapar village in Gujarat's Kutch district, who played a pivotal role in helping India win the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The women came together to rebuild and repair the only runway in Bhuj, which was crucial for the war. Sharad recently worked with Ajay in "Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior". He played the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the film.## "Working with all the actors in both the films it feels nice because I worked with them earlier also. Mr. Dutt and I have major sequences in 'Bhuj: The Pride Of India'. I worked with him in 'Bhoomi', there is great chemistry between us... He treats as his younger brother...," Sharad told IANS.## "With Ajay sir, it feels like family and the Akshay sir I worked with him in 'Housefull 4'. If you work with people whom you know or worked with before then you are more comfortable with them and because I am much younger than them they treat me very nicely. They have been very kind to me," he added.## Currently, Sharad is at home due to the nationwide lockdown.## Does he see a silver line as he is getting to spend time at home with his family?## "In TV days obviously I used work every day. But films or web-series we don't work non-stop. I used to go every day for meetings, narrations, and other things. But the break is needed but not for such a long time... I'm a workaholic its very troublesome for me," he added.## But Sharad says he has now gotten used to staying at home.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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Hrithik Roshan's 'Super 30' awaits censor clearance for China release
2249 days ago
Bollywood

Hrithik Roshan's 'Super 30' awaits censor clearance for China release

New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) Hrithik Roshan's 2019 hit "Super 30" is lined for release in China once the COVID-19 pandemic blows over and normalcy returns.## Reliance Entertainment Group CEO Shibashish Sarkar said that they were in the midst of the censorship process before the lockdown in China, and are looking forward to taking the movie to the foreign market once they get a go-ahead signal.## Asked if "Super 30" will be the first Bollywood film to get a release in China after the health crisis -- as being speculated widely by a section of the Indian media -- Shibashish told IANS: "I don't think that is the fact."## "The fact is that we have applied for the censor, and we were in the midst of the censorship process. There are three stages and we have completed the first stage. We were in the midst of the process when the lockdown happened in China," he added.## Sarkar continued: "I assume that there will be many other films in the pipeline, maybe many Indian films in the pipeline as well, which I am not sure about. But I am pretty sure that our film was in the censorship process, and once the sensor clears it, we will gear up to release our film in China. But whether it is our film which will be the first (to release in China) or some other film, I don't have any idea."## "Super 30" is based on the life of Anand Kumar, who runs the Super 30programme for IIT-JEE aspirants from poor families. Produced by Reliance Entertainment and Phantom Films, and directed by Vikas Bahl, the film also stars Mrunal Thakur, Amit Sadh and Nandish Sandhu in pivotal roles.## Sarkar says they are looking forward to releasing the film in China.## "If the sensor gets cleared, which will get cleared in all likelihood because it is an inspirational film, then we are all geared up to release the film in China," he said.## For more and latest news about Bollywood, stay tuned with us.

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How Satish Kaushik celebrated his 64th birthday amid lockdown
2249 days ago
Bollywood

How Satish Kaushik celebrated his 64th birthday amid lockdown

New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) As the world is staying indoors due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, veteran Bollywood actor-filmmaker Satish Kaushik is more than happy to celebrate his 64th birthday at home among his near and dear ones.## The actor says his seven-year-old daughter Vanshika has planned a special surprise in the evening.## "This is a really special birthday because I get to spend it entirely with my family at home. My daughter, Vanshika, gifted me with a lollipop, which she made herself by using many chocolates. She kept her room locked for the last two days, so I'm sure she has been whipping up something creative for me," Satish told IANS.## He said he would know what the surprise is by evening.## "I'll know that by the evening and I'm really excited about it. Just being home gives so much joy, and that makes this day even more special for me," he said.## How has he been keeping himself busy in lockdown?## "The only thing that's good about this lockdown phase is that I'm getting to stay home. I haven't spent so much time at home during my entire career. Now I get to see how the household is managed. I get to spend so much time with my wife and daughter. I don't feel I'm missing out on anything," he said.## Satish says he socializes with his friends Anupam Kher and Anil Kapoor via video calls.## "I often indulge in video calls with my besties Anupam Kher and Anil Kapoor. I've also been helping my daughter with studies and I enjoy playing with her. Of late, I've learned how one can walk and do proper exercise and yoga even at home. I've been watching a lot of movies and epic mythological stories like 'Ramayan' and 'Mahabharata'."## He has been exploring his creative sides even more now.## "I'm glad that I didn't allow my creative faculties to rest. I narrated and put together a poem, which was penned by Rashmi Virag, which went viral on digital platforms. So I'm glad I've got to explore different facets of my personality. This time has also been great for penning new content and ideas and deciding the way forward," he said.## Stay tuned...

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COVID-19: Sanjay Dutt pitches in to feed 1000 families
2249 days ago
Bollywood

COVID-19: Sanjay Dutt pitches in to feed 1000 families

Mumbai, April 13 (IANS) Actor Sanjay Dutt is pitching in to feed a thousand families in Mumbai at a time when the underprivileged are facing difficulty organizing daily income and food for themselves amid the COVID-19 pandemic.## "This is a time of grave crisis for the entire country. Everybody is helping each other in any way they can, even if it means just staying home and practicing social distancing. I am just trying to do my bit to help out as many people as I can," said Dutt.## Apart from social service, the actor is also focussed on fitness, among other things.## "Staying fit is very important especially during this time. So eat well, stay healthy & keep exercising. #QuarantineWorkout #HealthyAtHome #WorkoutAtHome #StayHomeStaySafe," he had recently tweeted.## While on his social service effort, Dutt has gone ahead to help the needy in these times of COVID-19 crisis by joining hands with Sawarkar Shelters. He has made sure that they cover the suburban area between Borivali to Bandra. "Sawarkar Shelters has been a great backbone to execute this plan. They have done much hard work and I thank them for it. I hope that by helping each other, we get through this difficult phase of our lives soon," he said.## Rupesh Sawarkar, Chairman, Sawarkar Shelters, shared: "It is so heartwarming to see people come forward to show unity in this fight against coronavirus. There are so many people who cannot get access to food right now. It is such a great initiative by Mr. Sanjay Dutt to step up and help these people out. His association with Sawarkar Shelters has been a positive one thanks to his generosity. His humanitarian efforts are a motivation for others to do whatever they can to support one another."## Stay tuned...

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Film body warns Indian musicians against working with Pak artistes
2249 days ago
Bollywood

Film body warns Indian musicians against working with Pak artistes

Mumbai, April 13 (IANS) The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has issued a circular warning Indian musicians and singers against working with Pakistani artistes. This comes after designer Vijay Arora and singer Harshdeep Kaur recently collaborated with noted Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan through a digital concert.## "We are pained to inform all members that despite being fully aware that FWICE has issued a total non-cooperation circular advising all members not to work in any manner whatsoever with all Pakistani artistes, singers, and technicians, some members are blatantly violating the non-cooperation circular by working in various mode and media of entertainment like a recent instance in which our musicians have worked online with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan of Pakistan which is being seen online. We have been informed that more such entertainment products and songs are being planned and made," the circular reads.## The film body warned all Indian musicians, singers, artists and technicians that "anyone found cooperating or working in any manner with Pakistani artistes" will be subject to "strict disciplinary action". The circular has been signed by FWICE chief advisor Ashoke Pandit, president BN Tiwari, general secretary Ashok Dubey, and treasurer Gangeshwarlal Shrivastav.## FWICE reminded everyone that while the entire world is battling the COVID 19 pandemic, "Pakistan is still busy killing our soldiers on the borders".## Sharing the circular on Twitter, trade analyst Taran Adarsh wrote: "No working with #Pakistani artists, singers, technicians, no working on digital platforms too... #FWICE issues a stern warning... OFFICIAL STATEMENT."## Stay tuned...

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Raftaar pays homage to his roots with new album 'Mr. Nair'
2249 days ago
Bollywood

Raftaar pays homage to his roots with new album 'Mr. Nair'

Mumbai, April 13 (IANS) Rapper Raftaar has come out with his sophomore album "Mr. Nair", and says the album gives him an opportunity to narrate his life to the world.## From working with his fellow Kalamkaar associates like KR$NA, Yunan, Deep Kalsi, Harjas, Rashmeet Kaur, KARMA; Bengaluru-based rapper Brodha V and Gully Gang signee Shah Rule to old-time collaborators Manj Musik and Bunty Bains, the 16-track album showcases several facets of Raftaar's persona whilst highlighting his passion for music.## "This album is an opportunity for me to narrate my life to the world. This is a curtain raiser of my story, my struggles, my success," Raftaar said.## "‘Mr. Nair' is an acronym I coined together that not only stands for my surname but also means ‘National Ambassador Of Indian Rap'. It's an epiphany of how my life has shaped up with all the struggles and how far I've traveled courtesy my modest middle-class upbringing," he added.## Looking back at his career, Raftaar said: "Since my initial years whether it was music, dance, painting, writing or whatever sort of creative outlet, I was exposed to; it has contributed to my story because there was a hint of the hip hop culture in everything I did from the start. In all honesty, I created ‘Mr. Nair' to break a psychological barrier that most artists create for themselves unconsciously which hampers their success story."## "I wanted to distance myself from the whole ‘what's trending and current rat' race. Take my example, for instance, as a teen I disapproved of my surname because it was difficult being a Malayali living in North India. But as soon as I realized that the name tag doesn't matter, I could focus more on my art. This album pays homage to my roots and pays respect to the family name that is built on the foundation of warriors and there is no better time than now," he added.## He thanked all the musicians who contributed to the album.## "Every individual who came on board to create this beautiful piece of art is very important to me. Without them, it wouldn't be the album I wanted to present. To every avid music enthusiast, this is my labor of love and I've tried my best to gift you something that's never been presented before as I have worked on this creatively for the past one year with a lot of technical experimentation," he said.## The 16-track album was released on Zee Music Company on April 13.## Stay tuned...

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Nupur Sanon gives 'Veer-Zara' touch to her grocery shopping amid COVID-19
2249 days ago
Bollywood

Nupur Sanon gives 'Veer-Zara' touch to her grocery shopping amid COVID-19

Mumbai, April 13 (IANS) Singer Nupur Sanon braved the COVID-19 pandemic on Monday to step out of her home because she urgently needed to buy groceries. And she gave her brief outing a filmy touch.## Nupur posted a video on Instagram Story in which she is seen sitting in her car, strictly following all safety precautions as she heads for her shopping trip in a mask.## "Grocery shopping me do pal duniya dekhli," she captioned the video, with the "Veer-Zaara" song "Do pal ruka" song playing in the background.## On the work front, Nupur made her acting debut opposite Akshay Kumar in the music video of B Praak's song "Filhall" last year. She recently came up with a cover version of the soulful track.## Stay tuned...

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Hrithik Roshan shares workout video of 70-yr-old Rakesh Roshan
2249 days ago
Bollywood

Hrithik Roshan shares workout video of 70-yr-old Rakesh Roshan

Mumbai, April 13 (IANS) Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan is a fitness icon for the youth, but it turns out his 70-year-old filmmaker dad Rakesh Roshan is no less a health freak.## On Monday, Hrithik took to Instagram to share a video of Roshan senior sweating it out all by himself in the gym.## Lauding the septuagenarian filmmaker's enthusiasm and commitment, Hrithik wrote: "Alone. But at it! @rakesh_roshan9 #70running17 #whydidinotgethisgenetics #militaryman #fitnessmotivation #whenigrowupiwannabelikehim #daddycool. This seriously is more inspiring to me than anything else. My daily dose . Give him a shout guys."## Meanwhile, Hrithik Roshan is providing 1.2 lakh nutritious cooked meals for the needy amid the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. The Bollywood superstar is doing this in association with the NGO Akshaya Patra.## Stay tuned...

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Shekhar Ravjiani unveils 'Maha Mrityunjaya' mantra amid COVID-19 crisis
2249 days ago
Bollywood

Shekhar Ravjiani unveils 'Maha Mrityunjaya' mantra amid COVID-19 crisis

Mumbai, April 13 (IANS) Singer-composer Shekhar Ravjiani has unveiled his version of "Maha Mrityunjaya" mantra, which he describes as a prayer from him to Lord Shiva to protect everyone at a time when people are hit by the coronavirus pandemic.## "I've been listening to Shankar Sahney's version of the 'Maha Mrityunjaya' mantra since many years and it is a prayer that I really love and recite regularly," said Shekhar.## "During this lockdown period, I've been praying for the well-being of humanity with the hope that this difficult time will pass. Here's my version of 'Maha Mrityunjaya' mantra -- a prayer from me to Lord Shiva to protect all of us," added the artiste, who had earlier come up with his own rendition of the Hanuman Chalisa and Gayatri Mantra.## Shekhar's version of "Maha Mrityunjaya" mantra has been released by Bhushan Kumar's T-Series.## "We have been in the devotional market space since the time my father (Gulshan Kumar) started the company. With the blessings of Lord Mahadev, we are excited to release this version of 'Maha Mrityunjaya' mantra in Shekhar's voice," said Bhushan.## "We hope the mantra will bring about positive change during this tough time of the coronavirus pandemic that humanity at large is grappling with," he added.## Stay tuned...

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Anushka is 'disturbed' about COVID-19 stigma in society
2249 days ago
Bollywood

Anushka is 'disturbed' about COVID-19 stigma in society

Mumbai, April 13 (IANS) Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma has voiced concern over the stigma around COVID-19 and has urged people to not discriminate against patients suffering from coronavirus.## Anushka took to social media and voiced her concerns, she wrote: "Deeply disturbed reading some reports about how coronavirus patients and even some medical professionals, who are in the frontline taking care of such patients, are being discriminately treated," she said.## The actress wants all citizens to exercise sensitivity towards patients and medical professionals and called for India to stand shoulder to shoulder in times like this.## "At times like this, it is important that we care for each other and are extremely sensitive to the suffering of others. Let's not treat fellow citizens with disrespect and stigma. It's the time to stay united and stand united," she said.## On the work front, Anushka and her husband, cricketer superstar Virat Kohli, have pledged to support the Prime Minister's Relief Fund and Chief Minister's (Maharashtra) Relief Fund in the ongoing battle against the coronavirus pandemic.## A source in the industry told IANS that Virat and Anushka have jointly donated Rs. 3 crore towards the cause.## Stay tuned...

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Richa turns scriptwriter amid lockdown
2249 days ago
Bollywood

Richa turns scriptwriter amid lockdown

Mumbai, April 13 (IANS) Actress Richa Chadha is utilizing her lockdown time as she has taken to scriptwriting. She says it all started with penning down a few thoughts and that just soon became an interesting idea.## "It all started with penning down a few thoughts and that just soon became an interesting idea. Soon enough, it started looking like a concept I would like to develop. It's a comedy, my favorite genre. The premise is hilarious," Richa said.## She added that she wants to write something and focus on why people should prioritize.## "The fact that all our lives have come to a screeching halt has made me contemplate the fragility of human existence. I want to write something that focuses on why people should prioritize what's necessary. Too often we are all so busy chasing things, that we forget to spare a thought for ourselves and what really matters to us," she said.## The lockdown has helped her explore her creative side.## "It has been bottled up within me for a long time and the entire lockdown phase has accelerated my creative side. I am just putting together the skeletal structure and will then start looking for a screenplay writer," she said.## Stay tuned...

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Zoa Morani discharged after COVID-19 treatment
2249 days ago
Bollywood

Zoa Morani discharged after COVID-19 treatment

Mumbai, April 12 (IANS) Actress Zoa Morani is out of hospital after recovering from a bout of COVID-19.## Zoa took to Instagram to share the news that she is out of the hospital. She posted a selfie in a surgical mask along with the announcement.## "Time to say goodbye to my warriors from space and keep them in my prayers forever! Goodbye, isolation ICU. Time for #homesweethome!" wrote Zoa in the caption.## Earlier on Saturday, while chatting up actor Varun Dhawan on Instagram Live, Zoa had sent out positive vibes about her health. "I really couldn't believe it because I was glued to the news and seeing all the stories. And then, to suddenly realize that you only have it, is a little scary. But I promise, once you go through it, you realize that it is completely manageable," the actress had informed Varun, according to hindustantimes.com.## Zoa, her sister Shaza and their father, producer Karim Morani, have been among the earliest reported COVID-19 cases in Bollywood. While Shaza has also been discharged from hospital and has returned home, Karim Morani is still receiving medical attention.## The news was made official by Zoa on Wednesday when she confirmed on Instagram, saying: "My father, sister and I have been tested COVID 19 positive. Papa and Shaza have no symptoms, I have a few...will be sharing the experience soon so that others get an idea and I can be of some help."## Stay tuned...

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